Less can be said about the sixth member of the group, with Echuca Village’s Jarrad James experiencing a mechanical fault in the lead up to the event.

‘‘We’re all pretty shattered for Jarrad ... he was heartbroken,’’ Collins said.

‘‘After 12 months of training, not being able to complete the race or even start the race is pretty heartbreaking.’’

James’ misfortunes and Collins’ troublesome day one has not deterred the group and ‘‘the amazing support crew who helped us’’ from aiming for next year’s Finke Desert Race, keen to mark its 40th anniversary with an even better performance.